David Teter's 1969 Ford Boss Mustang- Hometown Hot Rodding

'69 Boss MustangEarly StartIt all began in the early 1960s when David Teter of Chester Springs, Pennsylvania, watched his neighbor's 1932 coupe decay in the front yard. David wondered what the car could have done to deserve such neglect. He was inspired enough to get a hot rod of his own--a 1958 Belvedere convertible when he turned 15. He tinkered with this car for a couple of years, but he knew it would only be the first of many cars he would own. A magazine featuring the new 1969 Boss Mustang grabbed David's attention. He went down to the local Ford dealer to order the car. They weren't sure it would ever come, and tried to sell David one of the 302-inch small-block models. David wouldn't budge: "The 427 was neat, the 428 was neat, but the 429 was the neatest," and nothing less would satisfy him. When David finally took delivery of his Boss 'Stang, he racked up over 100 miles on the odometer before dinner. He knew the car was built for one thing, and one thing only: going fast. He upgraded the Mustang with a Hurst Competition Plus shifter, headers, and an original Ford dual four-barrel intake manifold. He took this combination drag racing and it proved itself a true muscle car with consistent 12.4-second e.t.'s.

The car went everywhere he did--through the rain, sleet, and snow of Pennsylvania. The gas crises of the '70s pushed the Mustang into the garage. Just after that, David took a trip with Uncle Sam for several years and fought to get back to the Mustang, but soon after returning home, the task of raising five children took over.

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The car had been parked in the garage unmoved for over 30 years before David could come back to it. Even though it had a nice dry garage spot, the Mustang needed a complete overhaul. The modifications he had made to it in his 20s were outdated, and he could afford to do it right this time. David and his son gave the Mustang a complete makeover. They replaced every bolt and every imperfect part of the car. The factory suspension and engine were improved with a Total Control Products rack-and-pinion, and a rebuilt 550hp NASCAR-style 429 big-block. Now the car gets the attention he wished his neighbor's coupe did back in the day.